BIANNUAL COMMUNICABLE DISEASE SURVEILLANCE REPORT #2

An overview of the public health nurse surveillance of THE TOWN communicable diseases in Grafton, MA, Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2020. 2020OF GRAFTON Grafton Biannual Communicable Disease Surveillance Report #2, 2020

Defining Case Classifications for Communicable Diseases

In the U.S., the States mandate the reporting of certain diseases by law or by regulation. The diseases that are reportable to state and local health departments differ from state to state; however, certain diseases are considered nationally notifiable diseases. The list of nationally notifiable diseases is updated annually. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), publishes case definitions for public health surveillance for the nationally notifiable diseases. These case definitions provide uniform criteria for reporting cases and are case specific. The case status for most diseases is determined as follows:

• A confirmed case is one in which the clinical case description is met and the laboratory confirmation requirement is met. A case may also be considered confirmed if it is linked to a laboratory-confirmed case. Certain diseases may not include laboratory findings as testing is not available.

• A probable case is one in which the clinical case description is met and there is supportive or presumptive laboratory results consistent with the diagnosis but, it does not meet the laboratory confirmed criteria.

• A suspect case is one in which the clinical case description is met.

• A revoked case is one in which neither the suspect, probable, nor confirmed case definition is met.

A significant amount of information gathering must be collected for many diseases before a case classification is final. As a result, the status of cases can change over time as more information becomes available during an investigation.

The town of Grafton has decided to include all case classifications for its biannual communicable disease surveillance reports.

Source: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00047449.htm

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Grafton Biannual Communicable Disease Surveillance Report #2, 2020

There was a total of 649 confirmed cases from January 1 to December 31, 2020, of which the Novel Coronavirus comprised of 91% (588) of these confirmed cases.

Figure 1. Confirmed Communicable Diseases in Grafton, MA Jan 01-Dec 31, 2020

Novel Coronavirus (SARS, MERS, etc) 588

Influenza 30

Tuberculosis 20

Hepatitis C 6

Salmonellosis 2

Shiga toxin producing organism 1

Human Granulocytic 1

Campylobacteriosis 1

Figure 2. Probable and Revoked Communicable Diseases in Grafton, MA Jan 01 - Dec 31, 2020

77

4 1 1 1 2 3

PROBABLE PROBABLE PROBABLE REVOKED REVOKED REVOKED REVOKED Hepatitis C Hepatitis B Novel Coronavirus Babesiosis Group B Novel Coronavirus Hepatitis C (SARS, MERS, etc) (SARS, MERS, etc)

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Grafton Biannual Communicable Disease Surveillance Report #2, 2020

Figure 3. Suspect Communicable Diseases in Grafton, MA Jan 01 - Dec 31, 2020

Lyme Disease 41

Influenza 38

Novel Coronavirus (SARS, MERS, etc) 9

Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis 4

Babesiosis 2

Varicella 1

Tuberculosis 1

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Grafton Biannual Communicable Disease Surveillance Report #2, 2020

Table 1. All Communicable Diseases in Grafton, MA - Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2020 Disease Status Num of Cases % Cases CONFIRMED 1 0% Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis CONFIRMED 1 0% Shiga toxin producing organism CONFIRMED 1 0% Salmonellosis CONFIRMED 2 0% Hepatitis C CONFIRMED 6 1% Tuberculosis CONFIRMED 20 2% Influenza CONFIRMED 30 4% Novel Coronavirus (SARS, MERS, etc) CONFIRMED 588 71% Hepatitis C PROBABLE 1 0% Hepatitis B PROBABLE 4 0% Novel Coronavirus (SARS, MERS, etc) PROBABLE 77 9% Babesiosis REVOKED 1 0% Group B streptococcus REVOKED 1 0% Novel Coronavirus (SARS, MERS, etc) REVOKED 2 0% Hepatitis C REVOKED 3 0% Tuberculosis SUSPECT 1 0% Varicella SUSPECT 1 0% Babesiosis SUSPECT 2 0% Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis SUSPECT 4 0% Novel Coronavirus (SARS, MERS, etc) SUSPECT 9 1% Influenza SUSPECT 38 5% SUSPECT 41 5%

Total 834 100%

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